


Alone in A Room Full of People - An Avatar (Zuko x Katara) Fic

by LissyWrites



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drama, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Political Drama, Romance, Zutara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24886291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LissyWrites/pseuds/LissyWrites
Summary: AU - After taking over the throne of the Fire Nation, Zuko spends his time among groups of advisers and servants. Despite every waking moment around people, Zuko still feels utterly alone. To repair relations with the Water Nation, Zuko invites the only person he knows to join his council. Surprisingly, she heals much more than political relations.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

We were all sitting at a long table, overlooking an empty space where usually someone would be. That someone would often be complaining about some government project, they might be defending themselves after being arrested for some petty crime, or they'd be an envoy from another country hoping to strengthen bonds with the revitalized Fire Nation. However, today was not that day. Instead, we were all sitting at the table, talking amongst ourselves, chatting about the activity for the week. I hated this setup. Talking to someone without looking at them was needlessly passive.

Not to mention, I could hardly see anyone out of my left eye's periphery. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get the advisors and counsel to meet anywhere else. I also couldn't convince them that it made more sense for me to sit at the far left end so I could at least try to look at everyone, but no, that broke tradition. Once again, a useless excuse for another tired way of doing things. I almost said as much when the meeting agenda for the following week was announced.

"Tomorrow morning, a delegate from the Earth Kingdom will be stopping by to discuss the possibilities of additional trade routes. There will then be a free period where you will accept any audiences from the people. There are none currently scheduled, but you will be expected to still attend."

Even now, after years on the throne, I was still being treated as the fallen Prince Zuko. The poor Prince Zuko that couldn't regain his honor. The sad, little prince who needed to be led around like a child lost, trying to find his mother in a market. Frustration was rumbling in the pit of my stomach, but I wanted to prove them wrong. I wasn't that Zuko anymore. I wouldn't blow up.

"Day 2, your uncle has requested an audience with you to discuss National Tea Appreciation Day preparations. He has a new concoction he has requested you try—"

"That's fine. What about the following days?"

The announcer cleared his throat and made no effort to hide his offense at my interruption. The distant, but familiar rage liked to bubble up in these moments. While it was no longer welcome, I sometimes found solace in it. That emotion was a reminder of how far I had come.

"Well, then, moving right along. Day 3, a member of the Air Acolytes will be arriving to provide gifts from the Avatar. He, of course, sends his regards as always. They also have requested our assistance in restoring one of the four temples. I am not sure which, but I made them aware that we are constrained on manpower as of now, and you might not be able to—"

"When they arrive, we will send as many able-bodied men as we can back with them."

Other members of the council began to murmur, some in dissent, others in mild approval. However, no one disagreed more than the head advisor who was reading the agenda. His silence spoke much louder volumes than his words ever could. The air around him vibrated with contempt for the rebellious former prince. I think that's why he always sat to my immediate left. It was the best way to hide his looks of disapproval. Even so, I relished in imagining how he looked as I went against every suggestion he had.

"Alright. Well, an interesting choice, my lord. Day 4, you have another open counsel with the people. There is a complaint from a cabbage seller, but, otherwise, it is still mostly unscheduled. Then, day 5, you are expected to go over proposals for school curriculum changes, taxing changes, and military placements." With that, the old man tapped his papers against the table, signaling the end of the agenda announcements. "Are there any questions or pressing matters?"

I ran through the list of meetings again and tried to mentally tally up how many times I had met with representatives for each nation during the full duration of the season. I had met with someone from the Earth Kingdom twenty times this season. The Air Acolytes always sent one or two people into the city at least once a week. It often gave Aang an excuse to visit, which he was more than happy to do, sometimes for no other reason than to just check in on me. However, as with every season, the Water Nation brought up the rear with only three visits the entire season.

It wasn't unusual, but I still didn't like it. Just as the Fire Nation had wiped out the Air Nomads, so did we begin the slow destruction of the Water Nation. Even after my father's imprisonment, the Water Nation wasn't the most open to mending relationships once everyone settled into newfound peace. They still didn't allow any Fire Nation delegates to enter either the south or north poles.

I couldn't blame them. The image of a Fire Nation ship docking on their shores still carried with it shivers of war and genocide. Even so, it was frustrating.

"Have we heard anything on another Water Nation delegate or envoy this season?"

The head adviser shuffled through his papers, humming, and hawing when it was clear he already knew the answer.

"Nothing so far. I highly doubt we will hear anything from them until the next. Would you like me to write and see if they are willing to accept representation from us?"

Even if we did write, I knew what the result would be. It would be resounding silence, and that silence would be a wholehearted decline. It wouldn't be worth the time. Yet, something in me was still toiling. There had to be a way to fix this. Perhaps it wouldn't be next week, next season, or even next year. Surely, though, there had to be a way to start the process. There couldn't be complete peace without the Water Nation, and I wasn't the only one on the panel that knew that.

Once again, murmurs were beginning to make their rounds. While they made it seem like they were trying to hide their thoughts, it was all just a careful ruse. This was how they shared information with me. It was how they gave me their opinions without coming outright and demanding I fall one way or another. Again, another passive tradition holding back progress. Still, I focused on their words.

'War' was a word that often got passed around when the Water Nation was brought up. While we were in peacetime, war had become familiar and safe to many Fire Nation people. It was something they quickly recognized. It was also something they had experience dealing with. If there was even a whisper of war, they pounced on it like ravenous crows. They excited over it, as it was at least something they could understand. Peacetime was unfamiliar territory.

This time was no exception. I could hear various suggestions of war being passed around:

"Perhaps the Water Nation needs some encouragement."

"If they don't want to forge peaceful relationships, perhaps they want something more violent."

"Maybe they are planning revenge. Enough time has passed. I've heard rumors."

And so they continued back and forth, all hoping I take the bait. While we weren't looking at each other directly, somehow, the council's words felt like pointed stares, all directed toward me. The pressure wasn't something I could ignore. However, war was not on the table for me. Much to the disappointment of my advisers, I quickly shut down any indication that I was entertaining such an idea.

"I'm not interested in forcing the Fire Nation and Water Nation relationship, one way or the other. However, I am interested in showing good faith and mending what relationship we might have. The question is of how."

It was then as if on cue, the door to the chamber creaked open. There, in the doorway, holding a plain clay teapot in a small red cloth, was a comforting, smiling face. All decorum I tried to maintain instantly fell away. I jumped up from my place at the council table.

"Uncle!"

Uncle Iroh flashed me a grin, characteristically young for his every-growing age.

"Nephew. I brought tea."


	2. Chapter 2

It smelled herbal – earthy – as Uncle Iroh poured the steaming tea into my cup, then his own. I knew better than to drink immediately. When Uncle brought tea, it was a ritual. We sat in silence for a while, his eyes half-lidded as he took in deep breaths. I couldn't help admitting that I enjoyed this process just as much as he did. The scent was medicinal, and taking that into myself settled most of the anxiety that had built up through the council meeting.

However, even Uncle's ritualistic comfort couldn't last forever. The moment he lifted his cup and took a sip, it was time to talk.

"It's good to see you, Nephew. I am glad to see you a bit calmer than you were at that council table."

I winced. Was it so easy to see my emotions? Apparently so, as Uncle immediately laughed at my reaction.

"Zuko. I never thought the day would come where I would see you leading the council. I only wish you didn't look so stressed. Drink."

When Uncle said drink, I did. The tea coated my palate with warmth and the bittersweet earthy flavors of the leaves. It was a perfect cup, as expected of the great Uncle Iroh. As the taste settled, Uncle then asked:

"What is troubling your mind?"

I cradled the teacup in my hand, basking in the warmth in my hands. It was the perfect mixture of fire, water, earth, and as the steam carried the scent and filled the room – so, too, did it perfectly represent air. I desperately wanted to create something so perfect as this cup of tea, but staring at the dark liquid gently sloshing in the cup, I was reminded of one of the significant issues with this perfect vision I had.

"The Water Nation. We've had envoys and delegations travel between the Earth Kingdoms, the Air Acolytes, and the Fire Nations, but the Water Nation…"

There was nothing more to say. Uncle nodded in understanding, and once again, he fell into a comfortable silence as he took in another sip.

"You know, Nephew, this reminds me of tea."

I perked up, doing my best not to absolutely beam with pride. It seemed Uncle's thoughts were aligned with my own. I desperately longed to make him proud and to follow in his footsteps. His training and teachings had rooted themselves deeply in my core, and finally, it seemed they were blossoming.

"Tea requires heat and water. To make the perfect cup of tea, you need the perfect flame. Too hot, the water will boil, and you can burn your leaves. The tea will be bitter – too bitter to enjoy. Not enough heat, and you will never get the tea warm enough to extract the flavor."

His words hung in the air between us. Instantly, my pride deflated. I clearly needed to learn more from Uncle, as his words' meaning was lost on me. Thankfully, Uncle never left me hanging for long.

"You can't blame the Water Nation for being distant. We have burned them and boiled them for a long time and left them bitter, but we also can't leave them out on their own. Otherwise, we will never have true peace. It will only be a matter of time before both sides blister and war will begin again."

I nodded, but even as I took in his words, I was still hopeless at how to achieve this perfect balance. How do I allow the Water Nation the distance it needed to heal but still forge strong enough bonds to prevent future wars and conflict?

"I just don't know where to start, Uncle."

He bobbed his head and hummed. His arms folded across his chest as he fell into thought. Eventually, one of his hands found his beard, and he stroked it rhythmically.

"It is quite a difficult situation. I think it is essential to consider the past as you move forward to the future. How did the Fire Nation create this strained relationship, to begin with?"

It was not something I liked to think about, especially since I actively participated in it in my youth. Memories of anxiousness and excitement as I rode in those massive metal warships toward the isolated water tribes made me sick to my stomach now. If only my younger self could have foreseen what the world would become and what role the Fire Nation would eventually play. If only he knew what role _he_ would play in all of it.

"We invaded." I then set my cup of tea down and buried my face into the heels of my hands. "We took our warships into their land. We took the people we considered a threat and killed them. We invaded."

Uncle hummed in agreement again, but even as these terrible words fell from my lips, it didn't stir him from his thoughtful position.

"Yes, yes. This is all true, Nephew. So how do we consider this when moving forward?"

I peered at him over my hands, and that was when I saw his gentle smile. He already had the answer. He was just waiting to see if I had figured it out.

"We… stay away from the Water Nation, but then how—"

"We stay away, and instead, we allow one of them to come here."

I couldn't stop myself from glaring. Some part of me still had that anger and frustration of the old Zuko. It always flared up when I was insecure. Now, in front of my Uncle, that insecurity was boiling up once more. It took everything in me to keep it down.

"Who from the water tribes would want to come here? I can't even get them to respond to our letters as it is."

Uncle picked up his cup of tea and took a deep, long sip. Though Uncle was wise, he was just as prone as anyone to draw things like this out. He definitely reveled in being the smartest person in the room. For him, that was in pretty much every room. Finally, he revealed his grand idea.

"Zuko, you forget. You already know the perfect person to help you."

The perfect person? Who did I know from the Water Nation? Old faces and names flipped through my mind, but none stuck out. It wasn't until Uncle reminded me that her face dug its way out from the recesses of my memories.

"Katara. The water bender that hated you, but who eventually you worked alongside as an ally. Who better to help start the immense effort to heal relations between these two warring nations than two individuals who, despite their differences, fought side-by-side and not against one another?"

He was right. I knew he was right, but despite our truce, after the war officially ended and the Fire Nation lord fell, we went our separate ways. I hadn't spoken to her in forever. I didn't even really know where she was, much less if she would be willing to come to help her former enemy. As if he could read my mind, he beamed at me:

"And what better person to help facilitate this conversation than you dear friend, the Avatar. Knowing Aang, he keeps tabs on all of your little team."

While all the pieces seemed to fall into place, I couldn't shake the anxiety boiling in the pit of my stomach. Uncle was right. This was the best way, but that didn't mean it would all work out. More than likely, though, Uncle already considered that. Despite the chance of failure, Uncle still said it. He would never give me this guidance if he didn't think it would work.

I knew he was confident as he fell back into silence and finished his cup of tea. With a satisfied sigh, he picked up the warm teapot and poured himself another cup.

"Enough of business, for now, Nephew. How about a game of Pai Sho?"

I could only smile and nod in response, my own confidence beginning to grow.


End file.
